Former President Donald Trump announced via a post on Truth Social that there will not be another debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, dismissing her calls for a second showdown as unnecessary. Trump declared that polls showed him as the clear winner in their recent debate and suggested Harris’s request for another debate was an indication that she lost.
In his post, Trump stated, “There will be no third debate. Polls clearly show I won this week’s debate against Kamala Harris, and her immediate call for another one only proves she lost.” He further criticized Harris for allegedly skipping a debate with Fox News and refusing invitations to debate on NBC and CBS. Trump also suggested that the Vice President should focus on her responsibilities instead of calling for more debates.
The debate between Trump and Harris, held earlier this week, has sparked ongoing discussion about the candidates’ performances. While Trump’s supporters claim a victory, Harris’s team has pushed for a rematch, citing the importance of voters seeing more exchanges between the two candidates. At a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday, Harris reiterated her call for another debate, arguing that voters deserve more opportunities to see the candidates directly address key issues.
“I believe we owe it to the American people to have another debate,” Harris told supporters in Charlotte. She criticized Trump’s debate performance, accusing him of failing to speak to the issues that matter most to Americans, such as healthcare, economic inequality, and climate change. Harris emphasized that her campaign is focused on delivering solutions to the problems Americans face daily, and she characterized Trump’s approach as “the same tired playbook.”
The Harris campaign wasted no time in advocating for a second debate, making their desire for another exchange public shortly after Tuesday’s event. However, Trump’s post on Truth Social, published just before Harris took the stage in North Carolina, appeared to shut down any prospects for a future debate. Trump compared Harris’s request to a prizefighter asking for a rematch after losing, dismissing it as unnecessary.
Political analysts are divided on the outcome of the first debate, with both sides claiming their candidate emerged victorious. As the 2024 election race continues, the absence of another debate between Trump and Harris may become a focal point of contention between the campaigns.
Despite Trump’s refusal, Harris and her team seem determined to keep pressing the issue, with the Vice President continuing to contrast her policy proposals with Trump’s during her campaign stops.
